


Lights Out

by BennyBatch



Category: Original Work
Genre: Disturbing Themes, Ghosts, Mental Institutions, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2013-12-12
Packaged: 2018-01-04 11:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1080311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BennyBatch/pseuds/BennyBatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote a ghost story for my English college class so I thought I would share it. Hope you enjoy it and remember to read it in the dark, it is always better that way (:</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lights Out

I had just been moved to a new section of the hospital ward and I let my eyes wander about my new room. The room itself was slightly bigger than my last residence but it was just as dismal. The walls were a sick grey color and there were spots where the paint was chipped and peeling, revealing the stained cement underneath.

Still standing in the doorway, my modest bag of clothes in hand, I noticed that a small bed was pushed flush against the wall in the far left corner of the meager room, a single wool blanket lie folded at the foot of it and a pillow lay atop of that. From my place in the doorway, I could vaguely make out the gouges in the wall where someone had scratched at it with abandon. A shiver made its way up my spine as I stared at them, imagining what could have caused someone to do that.

I jumped as I felt a pressure fall on my shoulders and whirled around to come face to face with the doctor who decided it was best to move me here. He looked at me with startled eyes before relaxing once again, a small smile forming on his wizened face. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Heart still hammering away in my chest, I took a deep breath and replied, “You didn’t scare me, old man.” He laughed and I scoffed, stomping into the dreary room and throwing my bag down by the lone dresser with its small lamp that cast long shadows against the wall. I flopped on the bed and it groaned in protest at my harsh treatment while the pillow fell off the side with a dull plop as it hit the floor. I turned towards the fallen object, looking at it with loathing as if it had fallen off the bed on purpose.

“I see you’re making yourself at home already,” Dr. Graff said with another laugh. I turned to watch him with dull eyes, hoping he would get the message and leave but he didn’t seem to notice. “Well, its lights out in a few minutes so I guess I’ll just run through a few things before I go.” I groaned but he continued as if I didn’t say anything. “This is a low risk section of the hospital so if all goes well…” he gave a pause here, trying to get me to see the significance of what he was about to say, “you could be released within the next month or two.”

I perked up as I heard this, allowing a smile to light up my face. I had been in this awful place for the past 8 months and I was ready to pack my things and get out. It was their fault that I am here. I was forced in this place because of them. It started with me hearing voices when I was about seven years old. I could hear them whispering around me all the time, they were usually only nice things during that time of my life.  They mostly hummed Danny Boy to help me drift off to sleep but there was one time the voices got violent. I was in high school when I heard them. _It’s him! Can’t you see? He wants to kill you! Can’t you see?_ So I attacked, my nails digging deep crevices into his face. Blood running streaks like crimson tears. My parents decided it was the best option to admit me to the Independence Mental Hospital after, what they call, ‘The Incident’. And, now that I really think about it, their whispers made little sense but I just couldn’t help believing them. When they mentioned it, I could see a hateful look in the boy’s eyes and I just—“You’re making a great recovery, Margaret,” Dr. Graff said, startling me out of my thoughts. “You’ve said you haven’t heard anything strange in 3 months, is that correct?”

“Yes.” And it was true. They haven’t spoken to me and I am glad for it; I’m better off without them.

“Good,” he said, a pleased smile on his face as he made a few marks on his clipboard. “Well, anyway, remember to take your meds on time and remember that we have a one-on-one session tomorrow at 9:15 after group,” he said with a final click of his pen and turned to go before turning back around suddenly. “Oh—one more thing…” he said from the doorway, the light at his back making him appear like an imposing black figure even in the dim light of the desk lamp, “The furnace down in this section of the hospital likes to make noises so don’t worry too much if you hear something groaning. There is a nurse down the hall a ways so just call out if you need anything.” And with that he turned to leave, the door scratching sickeningly against the floor as he closed and locked it behind him as hospital rules dictated for this section.

I sat in the chilling silence for a long while, not really sure what to do with myself in the new space. Again, I let my eyes wander. From my new vantage point on the bed I could more clearly see the gouges in the walls. I leaned forward and brought up my right hand to trace over them. I spread my fingers out wide in order to trace the adjacent markings as well and I noticed that my hand fit the markings perfectly as I slowly dragged them downwards without adding any pressure. I repeated the motion a few times before letting my hand drop down to my side. Staring at them now filled me with sense of foreboding and I quickly turned away from them, unable to look at them any longer.

In order to calm my now ragged breathing, I tried to find anything else in the room I could focus on. My eyes finally came to rest on the metal bedframe and my breath caught in my throat. There were scratch marks all along the section closest to the head of the bed and they almost looked like…like someone had been restrained and had struggled viciously against their bonds.

I plunged my hands into my hair and dug my nails into my scalp as I squeezed my eyes closed and breathed harshly, my heart beating so wildly I was sure the nurse down the hall could hear its erratic rhythm. I remained like that for what seemed like a lifetime even though it had probably only been a few minutes. The silence making it seem like time was passing me by at a glacial pace.

It’s not a big deal. Don’t let it get to your head. You’re almost free.

I slowly cracked my eyes open and took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart. Don’t look; just don’t look. I stood up, making a pointed effort not to look at the marks on the wall as I pulled the bed to the center of the room. After positioning it close to the dresser with its flickering lamp, I settled back down on the thin mattress, the springs screeching under my weight before I remembered that the pillow was still lying on the ground in the corner. A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I steeled myself and ran over, grabbed it, and rushed back to the bed, landing on it harshly. I threw the wool blanket over my body and wrapped it tightly around me, making sure it was covering my nose but still allowed me to gaze at the pale orange glow of the lamp.

Nothing happened.

I gave a huff of laughter; this is insane. What am I so afraid of? Nothing is going to happen to me. The door is locked, the light is on, there aren’t any whispers…I froze, my breath stuck in my throat. What was that? A wheezing sound echoed in the halls followed by three clicks in quick succession. I released the breath I had been holding. It was only the furnace, Dr. Graff warned you not to get frightened of that.

_Oh…_

I gave a slight shake of my head; get ahold of yourself, Margaret. I jumped as a loud clang resonated in the silence of the ward. I let out a sick whimper as I pulled the blanket tighter around my lean frame. As the noise drifted off, all I could hear was the sound of my shallow breathing as I drew in air through my nose and released it in a quick puff, slowly relaxing out of my coiled position.

_…ny boy…_

I watched the light as it flickered, the shadows on the wall dancing behind it. It was almost soothing; the way they moved was mesmerizing. I closed my eyes.

_…the pipes…_

I slowly started to drift off to sleep and that’s when I heard it. I lay there, now wide-awake, not daring to move as I heard soft scratching noises coming from the corner of my room. Oh God. What the hell is that? Is it the fur—no, they’re here. They’re back. Oh God. Don’t look. I won’t look.

I couldn’t breathe; my chest was tight.

_…are calli…_

I brought the covers even closer, this time throwing them over my head. I could still make out the faint glow of the lamp through the thin blanket, which was a godsend. I slowly curled into a ball as the scratching crept closer.

My eyes and mouth were wide open with terror as I watched as a shadowy figure slowly manifested itself in front of me, its dark form taking on a grotesque shape as I gazed at it from underneath the blanket. It stepped towards me, the sound of its shuffling feet making my heart freeze.

Stay away. Oh God, please. Stay away from me!

I watched as the figure staggered towards me, my eyes following its each jerky movement, unable to close.  As soon as it was only a foot away, it stopped. I could hear it breathing and it sounded…ghastly. It was a stomach turning rasping, almost as if someone had a hand wrapped around its neck and was squeezing the life out of it. I squeezed my eyes closed, too scared to look at it any longer.

It’s not real. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. Not real. Dr. Graff wouldn’t have transferred me here if I were still hearing things. The rasping must be from the furnace and the shadow an effect from the flickering lamp light. None of it is real.

Gaining confidence, I opened my eyes slowly, expecting to find the dark figure but instead there was nothing. I couldn’t even hear the scratching anymore. I remained frozen for a while longer to be sure nothing was there before I let out a sigh of relief, the beating of my heart the only thing I could hear in the sheer silence.

It wasn’t real. It was a trick of the light. It was only my imagination; it’s not real, not real…not—

_Can’t you see?_

The covers were ripped away from me and my scream caught in my throat as the visage of a dark, marred creature appeared hovering over me. I tried to move as it drifted closer…closer, but my body wouldn’t listen to me. I sat there in frozen terror as the creature put its deformed head right up against my ear and I shook as it rasped, “ _Lights out._ ”

The whispers of the others joined in as the bulb of the lamp exploded, pieces of glass shattering everywhere. My piercing scream echoed throughout the empty hall of the hospital ward and my world was thrown into unending darkness.


End file.
